


Unemployed

by Shtrigga



Category: Bill Hader - Fandom, James Ransone - Fandom, Real Person Fiction
Genre: Alternate Universe, Friendship, Gen, Mild Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-12-27 16:15:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21121640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shtrigga/pseuds/Shtrigga
Summary: As IT Chapter Two hype slowly fades, PJ Ransone's feeling fairly miserable. Until one phone call.





	Unemployed

A stroke of luck becomes a very important part in life of an actor. You could spend years playing in some godforsaken theatre, doing commercials in the interrim, and then suddenly the stars would align and you’d end up in some big movie franchise. Sadly, only a handful of people are lucky enough to become famous in a day. The rest just make do. Trying to.

PJ didn’t believe in luck anymore. During his career he was able to get some meaty roles but not a single one got him a ticket to the top, to being famous, or even just provided him with a regular income. When another shooting was coming to an end, there was always this uncertainty – will he get a new part? How soon? Should he tighten the belt or live a little? 

Getting to be in the IT cast he considered lucky for a while. Well-known actors, famous book, his character is far from supporting. And then there was this crazy exhausting promo campaign that filled his social profiles with lots of fan mail and comments. PJ didn’t really enjoy that kind of attention. To be fair, it was a little too much a little too late. Unstoppable love declarations, weird memes and fanart, strangers dissecting and discussing his personality as if they knew him. But they didn’t. And it was starting to get more and more frustraiting. 

PJ was inherently skeptical but nevertheless open-minded. He had his doubts regarding the nature of this altered reality in which thousands of teenagers actually did care for him. But then again he just let it run its course. For a split second he was led to believe that IT was his big break. Deep inside he knew he shouldn’t have done it but fell under the spell. And fell down. Flight of Icarus didn’t last long, as expected. His agent still didn’t call much, press tour was finished, all that was left is the ringing silence in his ears. Once again he made a mistake. Once again he saw that he was a dull, mediocre human being.

The night shadows deepened, it was drizzling outside. PJ was looking through the notifications with a bored look on his face. He wasn’t enjoying the process at all. These here were the last crumbles of attention he got but felt he didn’t deserve. Not from the ones he would’ve wanted anyway. Yeah, the critics – they praised him but to what end? Everything vanished, he let himself be duped. “I love you” were the replies he received constantly. _No, you don’t. You love the idea of me. Is it not clear that I ain’t worth it as an actor? This is all so stupid, immature and doesn’t make sense. I am nothing but a very weird and a very boring little man._

He put his phone aside, stretched out and yawned. His wife and kid were spending the weekend at grandparents’ house, and even though PJ missed them, he could finally sleep in. It’s not like he was that tired but still… He closed his eyes and let himself be taken by a tornado of bitter thoughts. He knew the content of those thoughts well enough, so didn’t really pay much attention to their core. Self-reproach and low self-esteem became kind of familiar over the course of his life, he could just pushed those gloomy feelings to the back corner, meaning to attend to them later. _You can get used to anything, really…_

***

He was awoken by an annoying sound repeating somewhere in the distance. _Where is that fucking phone?_ PJ grabbed it and tried to turn the alarm clock off. It took him a few seconds to realize two things: first, it was an incoming call (not the alarm clock, you dummy!), second, he did not in million years expect to be remembered by the man calling right this moment. He got worried something had happened and answered in a low and raspy voice.

“Hello?” 

“Oh, hi!” A familiar laughter. “I already thought I’d go straight to the voicemail. It’s Bill, by the way,” he added quickly. “Bill Hader.”

“Huh…”

“PJ?”

“Yeah, I’m here, I’m here.” Ransone croaked rubbing his eyes.

“Sorry I woke you up.”

“Did something happen?” 

“Kinda did. Are you in town right now?”

“You mean now now or, like, in general?” PJ felt the growing wave of anxiety. For some reason he pictured Hader beaten up in some dark alley, without any money, bleeding, not being able to reach anyone else except him. That was a really dumb suggestion, sure, but again his brain didn’t function properly after sudden awakening. 

Awkward laughter. “Well, no, I mean in general, of course. Shit, sorry, I really should’ve known better than calling you in the middle of-”

“It’s 5:40 actually.”

“Really? Shit, it is… Yeah, erm, so… It’s just that I spent the whole night in front of my laptop, working on the script, didn’t pay much attention to anything, really. I should’ve waited till 10 at least. So, are you in town?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Is it okay if we meet today? I need to talk to you.”

“Hmm… okay?”

“Okay! Perfect! I’ll text you the place and the time. Sorry again for interrupting your sleep. See ya!” Bill hung up.

With a dozy look on his face PJ tried to digest this really weird call. His heart was still beating rapidly, his thought process didn’t work that well. As god is his witness, at this time of day as much as he wished he wasn’t able to properly analyze the conversation they had. He decided to leave it till morning and, as soon as this thought crossed his mind, fell asleep immediately. 

***

Bill was waiting for him with a big smile and open arms. PJ grinned and hugged him back awkwardly. He really did like Hader, the dude was always so warm and comfortable to be around, and also smart, like, they could’ve talked for hours if they had a chance, and PJ really wished they did. In his eyes Bill had the perfect balance between professional behavior and flat out boyishness which appealed to a lot of people.

“I want to apologize _again_,” Bill said showing him to the table. “Don’t know what’s gotten into me.”

“You know for a second there I actually thought I dreamt it.”

“Checked your phone?”

PJ smirked. “I did.” 

They ordered some breakfast. Bill got an omelet and a cappuccino, and PJ got a hot sandwich. 

“Well then, what do you got?”

Bill sighed and pulled his bag from under the seat. There he found a big heavy brown paper folder and gave it to James, his eyes glistening with excitement.

“Here. It’s season three outline. Erm, for Barry. Yesterday I did some rewriting and finally finished the fucker.”

“Did you even sleep?”

Hader bursted out laughing. “Not really, no.” 

“Thought so… So, like, you need some advice or…?”

“Do you wanna work with me?”

“I’m sorry?”

“You are there,” Bill said poking at the paper folder with his index finger, his smile wider than ever. “Alec and I have been thinking for a very long time how we wanted to unfold the story we left in season two, but all the plot twists seemed a bit stale, like walking in circles. But then we got an idea, like, maybe we add some new character. Fresh blood and stuff, to show new sides of Barry’s personality, his connection to the world, you know what I mean? And, well, okay, but what sort of character should it be? Who is he or she? What new do they bring to the story, you know? And only yesterday I finally got it. What kind of a person they should be. Before that we were like sitting in the office for days, scratching our heads and shit. But last night – a fucking revelation! So, anyway, when I got it I immediately thought of you. You know, like a perfect casting. Of course, you would need to do an audition, meet Alec, read the script but it’s pretty much already decided. Obviously, I’m open to suggestions, don’t worry, we can discuss your character and-”

“You’re… offering me a part?” PJ interrupted quietly, his head pounding because of all the information.

“Yeah, why- wait… If you’re booked already, I am sure we can work around your schedule.”

“Don’t have any schedule,” PJ shrugged, a touch of embarassment in his eyes. “It’s just… so weird.”

“Why?”

“It’s… well… Do you… do you have any idea how many times a day I see tweets that say – please bill hader hire pj for a cameo in Barry – and shit like that?”

“Really?” The grin was all over Bill’s face. 

“Unfortunately so.”

“Unfortunately?”

“It’s just… man, it feels so unreal. I don’t know what to say.”

“Well, read this, then. Jesus, I’m one hundred percent sure I want you for this part. This is gonna be rad! You’ll love it.”

“And if I don’t what you’re gonna do?” Ransone asked, his cheeks flushed.

“Probably murder you brutally.” Bill murmured with a sly look. “And then make your dead body play the part, Weekend at Bernie’s style… So, do you want it or not? Please say yes.”

“Of course, I fucking do… Shit, Bill, you think I was gonna miss the opportunity to work with you again? I mean I’m not a very bright guy but not to that extent.”

“Yay! I knew it! That you’ll agree that is.” He pulled his chair closer to PJ’s and patted him on the shoulder. 

“You and your bossy behavior…”

“Wait till I’m actually your boss and you’ll see.”

“So, this part… Is it big?”

“Unfortunately so,” Bill repeated PJ’s phrase with affectious laughter . “You’re gonna have to put up with me for a very long time, buddy.”


End file.
